Best of Reading Room SPACE ADVENTURES "U.F.O.: Plague"

We Have Already Seen...

Cover art by Rocke Mastroserio

Newspaper reporter Paul Mann researches a story about how, 100 years earlier, a flying saucer landed and aliens cured a local boy, ending a feud between two families that had gone on for generations.

With saucer sightings recently on the increase, Mann wonders if he'll encounter one...

 

But how can Mann be prepared for the senses-shattering Secret of the Saucer?

Find Out Tomorrow!

The second part of this book-length tale from Charlton's Space Adventures #60 (1967) was illustrated by artist Pat Boyette, an artist who usually did his own penciling, inking, and lettering, giving his work an immediately-distinctive visual style.
There's a kool tribute page to Boyette HERE.

BTW, all three parts of this story (and the sequel) were written by Denny O'Neil using his "Sergius O'Shaughnessy" pseudonom.

Best of Reading Room SPACE ADVENTURES "U.F.O.: Healers from Nowhere"

With New Year's Day coming up, why not re-present a time-travel tale?

...especially one with an amazing assortment of contributors!

Sooner than you think, Mr Mann...like Tomorrow!

This rather low-key story from Charlton's Space Adventures #60 (1967) was the first part of a three-part book-length tale that gets wilder as it goes on.

Not that unusual for comics of the Silver Age...except for three things:

1) It was a full-length story in an anthology title.

Anthology books usually had two or more stand-alone stories.

2) The story produced a sequel, which was published a year later!

3) Most importantly, each chapter of this tale was illustrated by a different artist!

This premiere chapter was rendered by "Melonius Thonk" (a play on popular jazz musician Thelonius Monk) a pen-name used to cover an apparent artist jam since every page has different stylistic elements.

The remaining two chapters were rendered by artists who penciled and inked their own work, as you'll see over the next two days.

BTW, the entire story from the final issue of this book's first run was written by Denny O'Neil using his "Sergius O'Shaughnessy" pseudonom.

Merry Christmas!

Holiday Reading Room SANTA CLAUS FUNNIES "Night Before Christmas"

There have been numerous graphic adaptations of this classic tale by Clement Clarke Moore.

...this is the third comics version (and one of the best), from Dell's Four Color Comics #61 (1944)

Story taken verbatim from the original, art by Arthur E. Jameson.

Holiday Reading Room SANTA CLAUS FUNNIES "Carolers"

Walt (Pogo) Kelly doesn't need captions or word balloons...

...to tell his story in this never-reprinted piece from Dell's Four Color Comics #91 (1945).

BTW, the reason it's just red and black is that it's on the inside back cover of the comic, which was printed with only two colors (instead of the usual four colors) to save money.

SANTA CLAUS FUNNIES "Santa's New Mode of Transportation"

One of the koolest Christmas covers ever...

...which most people don't realize is a wraparound, since they've only seen the front and, as a result, don't get the joke!

This cover for Dell's Santa Claus Funnies #1 (1942) has never been reprinted in full!

I've seen the front cover in a number of reference books, but never the back one.

BTW, the reason Santa's driving a Jeep is that it's wartime, and the vehicle had just been introduced into America's Arsenal!

Though the artist is considered "unknown" by the Grand Comics Database, it looks a lot like Walt (Pogo) Kelly, who was working at Dell, and contributed a couple of stories to the book.

Put Western Women Under Your Christmas Tree!

The tradition of Old West-themed Christmas presents dates back to the late 1800s, and was immortalized in the modern Xmas film A Christmas Story written (and narrated) by the late, great, Jean Shepherd.
Ralphie's quest for a Red Ryder BB Gun was mirrored by countless little boys (and probably more than a few girls) of the 1930s-1950s!
We at Atomic Kommie Comics™ believe the tradition should be upheld...but with a twist!
As part of our ongoing Christmas List of Pop Culture Stuff, we suggest...Women Outlaws, one of the coolest lines in our Western Comics Adventures™ section!These AIN'T no ladies!Think Barbara Stanwyck or Jane Russell in comic book form!
We're talkin' Horses! Leather! High-heeled boots! ShootOuts! Dominant females who don't take no sh!t! And...CatFights! Wah-HOO!
(And it's all rated PG-13 or PG!)
Besides the usual t-shirts, mugs, and other collectibles, these kool retro images also adorn women's duds! Jersey Tees, Spaghetti tanks! Thongs!
If women who can ride and shoot as well as any man ain't yer cup of prairie coffee, we also have Real-Life Westerners, Broncho Bill, The Cisco Kid & Pancho, Kid Cowboy, Masked Heroes, Native Americans, A Wealth of Westerners, and even Western Love!
Think of how they'll look under the Christmas tree!
(And they're safer than a Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle! You won't shoot your eye out!)